With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting on a bevy of draft assets. Through various trades they have accumulated 15 first round draft picks and 14 second round picks extending through the 2029 NBA draft. They also have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA and have begun to show on court production. The Thunder are currently 19-23 and in 12th place in the Western Conference standings. They are the only one game back of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 10th seed and a spot in the play-in tournament. Franchise superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is saying all the right things and this team still has Chet Holmgren's NBA debut to look forward to next season.
The Thunder were supposed to be a team that was in the running for Victory Wembanyama but unless they drastically fall off a cliff in the second half of the season, it looks like that might not happen. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. At some point, all of those draft assets need to turn into productivity on the court and ultimately, wins. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the absolute best players in the league and arguably having an MVP-level year. The Thunder do not want to risk alienating him with constant tanking. Besides, even if they do not get Wembanyama, they possibly already have a generational duo in Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren.
The Thunder just need to stay the course and focus on what they currently have on the court and see where the chips may fall. The Thunder don't need any knee-jerk reactions or to bring in any player that doesn't fit with the their future timeline. They should not commit to playoffs or tanking, they need to allow this group to figure it out on the court and whatever result they get is fine. That doesn't mean they can't make some moves at the NBA trade deadline. But if they want to continue on their current path, then what is it they need most?
Add more draft picks or acquire more young talent
The answer is simple, the Thunder should look to add to the trove of draft picks if they are able to, or they should look to add some young player who fit with their rebuild timeline at the NBA trade deadline. If they look to acquire more draft picks, it shouldn't be at the expense of the young talent they have. Most of those players are first and second year guys who don't have a large enough sample size to determine what type of NBA player they will be. But if the Thunder can move someone like Mike Muscala, Isaiah Joe or Kenrich Williams and get back draft picks in the process, then that's something that they should look into.
Otherwise, the Thunder should look to acquire additional young players that fit their vision. That's when they should look to move some of the young players they already have if it means a real upgrade. One player they should certainly kick the tires on is Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons. Bey has been rumored to be on the trade block with the Pistons seeking a first round draft pick in return. The Thunder have plenty of those and if that's all it takes to acquire Bey, then they should do so. He'd be an ideal fit on the wing alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
The Thunder could also use some help in the frontcourt and one name they should inquire about is Day'Ron Sharpe of the Brooklyn Nets. The seldom-used big man is in his second year in the NBA and has some potential upside. He's appeared in six games for the Long Island Nets in the G League this season and averaged a double-double with 18.3 points per game and 12.7 rebounds. He fits the age group of the Thunder roster and with the Nets in win-now mode, it probably wouldn't take much to make a deal for him.
They could also see what it would take to pry either Kai Jones or JT Thor away from the Charlotte Hornets. The two young big men have seen sporadic playing time with the Hornets and it also probably wouldn't take much to deal for either of them. In five games in the G League this season, Thor is averaging 19 points per game and shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range. In three G League games for Jones, he's averaging 22.3 points and 9.7 rebounds. Both have some upside and would be worth a flyer.
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